Anna Über Alles
by RainyWays
Summary: Elsa has just moved into a new house, only to discover her new neighbors' band doesn't lend itself to peace and quiet. One redhead in particular takes the suggestion to quiet down poorly, giving Elsa an unexpected enemy whom she has no idea how to manage. Trying to do so takes them both in a direction that neither expects.
1. Chapter 1

_Oh good gods, they're at it _again?

Elsa Arendal was tired; tired from not having slept well the nights before, and tired of the cacophonous attempts at music coming from her neighbors' garage. In the two short weeks since she had moved into the house that noise had managed to burn through her usually formidable patience, and there wasn't much more that she could take. Her new housemates might be fine with it, though some baffling combination of self-inflicted insomnia and the uncanny ability to sleep through anything less than a minor detonation, but Elsa's rest was neither so poorly scheduled nor so robust that she could ignore the issue any longer. If she could at least have concentrated despite it she might have been able to manage, but Elsa read best in proper silence, something that her new neighbors apparently couldn't allow her at nearly ten o'clock at night.

The textbook snapped shut with a satisfying *thwap*, frustration putting more force into it then was quite necessary. Under normal circumstances the disturbance would have been palpably out of place in the well-kept room. Every part of Elsa's domain was placed with studied precision, neatly ordered and sorted, folded and fit. Books lined the shelves, morose guardians over the carefully made bed. The desk held a small lamp near the center and assortment of pens confined to their corner. Dirty clothes were kept isolated in a small hamper near the door, ready to be escorted away whenever it filled. The room exuded a sense of calm and quiet that grated against the sounds invading it, setting Elsa's teeth on edge. Clearly she wouldn't be able to accomplish much tonight without staying up late yet again, and tonight that was just too much. No more.

Resolved, she stood, nearly knocking over her chair under her abnormal fervor. Despite the late summer warmth she grabbed her long coat, drawing it close as a ward against the dark and whatever she might find at the house. No backup was forthcoming from her housemates, who wished her luck but appeared largely uninterested in her efforts, preferring instead to stay sprawled across the couches in the living room variously reading or watching a show. How they withstood it was a mystery. Perhaps their marching band roots granted them some special resistance, and as the non-band replacement for their graduated friend she simply hadn't acquired that particular ability. Whatever the reason Elsa was determined not to be dissuaded from the attempt, and so she stepped out alone.

In a better mood Elsa might have noticed how pleasant the night was. The leaves hung silently on their branches, lit by a nearly full moon set in a clear sky. The year wasn't yet old enough for the trees to have begun turning, though fall's imminent arrival was likely to bring that change soon enough. Elsa's house fell nearly at the end of her street, just one removed from the stand of maples that marked the border of a small park. When searching for a room she'd assumed the location, tucked so deeply into the neighborhood, would be as remote as she would be able to find in the city. It wasn't until after she had moved in that she discovered that though her housemates might be quiet enough, the last house on the row was most definitely not. A short fence in ill-repair did little to separate the lots, and nothing to block the sound pouring from the garage in the back corner of the yard. A dozen paces rounded the corner, bringing the epicenter into view.

Having arrived outside the garage she could hear the calamity within more clearly. There were at least three people between a guitar, drums, and someone singing over it all. More shouting than singing, really, tumbled into the noise and energy being hurled about with abandon. They seemed to be digging into their song so recklessly that their enthusiasm drowned out whatever actual talent they might have, at least in Elsa's disgruntled opinion. Not that it mattered; she was here to end it, not to provide them with an audience. When their efforts finally ground to a brief halt Elsa rapped on the door, glass shaking loosely in its frame.

Quiet replied first, conversation stalling within as they heard the knock. Upon stepping back Elsa was struck by the idea that perhaps she ought to have asked her roommates just who exactly it was that lived here. She'd been so frustrated by their disinterest in the problem that she hadn't even remembered to ask, and as a result was flying blind for no particularly good reason. The best she could rely on now was that none of them had been concerned enough to stop her from going alone, which was thin comfort against the images of irritable, hulking, guitar-wielding fiends her imagination was oh-so-helpfully supplying for her. Maybe they hadn't heard her knock? No, they'd reacted, retreating now wasn't an option. Exhaustion and annoyance had led her into an imminent confrontation. She'd simply have to face it.

Her braid swung wide as she shook her head to clear the phantasms from her thoughts, and it was still swaying when the door creaked open. What she found was a young red-headed woman, perhaps a few years younger than Elsa, head slightly askew with curiosity at this stranger. Her hair too was kept braided, but rather than Elsa's long single braid it was wrangled into twin plaits, one trailing forward over her left shoulder and the other lingering behind her right. What hair hadn't been restrained stuck out at odd angles, weighed down under a damp sheen of sweat. Long streaks of white hair swirled down one side, past thrice-pierced ears where it set a striking contrast against the dark metal rings set into them.

"Umm…hi?" The greeting was a clear invitation to explain why Elsa was here, and was delivered with the breathlessness of someone who had just finished a long run. Faded turquoise eyes carried a liveliness that Elsa wasn't quite prepared for. All told, she was far too happy for Elsa's foul mood, and after a swift moment spent squashing stray thoughts that tried to sneak past her annoyance she was ready to put an end to this.

"Yes, hi. I need to talk to you about your music."

"Oh! Were you listening just now? Did you like it?" Sparkling eyes announced excitement that Elsa was going to have to quash, unwilling to spend the effort to let down the misunderstanding lightly.

"What? No! I'm here to tell you that you need to stop playing!" That clearly took the other girl aback, wide eyes flashing surprise before narrowing into suspicion, the earlier glimmer whisked away behind abruptly settled clouds.

"Excuse me? What do you mean, we need to stop playing? Just who are you, anyway?" Elsa belatedly realized that spending the time on diplomacy would likely have been wiser, but at this point she wasn't going to back it off.

"I'm Elsa, I live next door. Look, it's past ten now, that is just way too late-" Her words faded away as she found herself interrupted.

"What, _that_ next door?" She pointed at Elsa's house. "I didn't know the band kids moved out."

"They didn't, I just moved in for one of them. Look, all I need you to do-" Again, the sentence trailed off as the redhead ran her words over.

"They've always been fine with us playing, it's not like it's all that late. Plus, this is the only time we can play together."

Elsa was done being interrupted. "Will you let me finish? I don't care when you are able to play, it's late, I have school tomorrow and work left today, and I don't need to be hearing all this awful noise while I try to do it! It's after dark already, so please, will you just stop?!"

The ensuing silence held the weight of an oncoming storm. Elsa could tell that her outburst had struck a chord, one deep enough to leave a lasting mark. Worse, if the hurt shading her neighbor's face was any indication then she had just burned her chance of this ending peacefully, or at least of it ending tonight. And while Elsa was creeping towards her usual compulsion to run and hide from the brewing fight it didn't look like the other girl had the same tendency.

The squall struck before any plan had time to coalesce, indignation fueling the response. "Excuse me? Awful noise?! Just because _you_ have no taste doesn't mean you can just come over here and order us around! We'll play when we want to, thank you very much! And it will be awesome!" The last word was punctuated by the girl leaning forward and pointing sharply at Elsa, her other hand planted firmly against her hip.

She looked ready to say quite a lot more, but a broad-shouldered blond man stepped behind her and set a large hand on her shoulder, steering her back from the door while saying, "Woah, woah, hold on there feisty pants! We don't want to start fights with our neighbors." His tone was jovial, but the daggers in her eyes before she was pulled back promised that a fight was exactly what she'd had in mind. Her place in the door was taken by a second young man, this time a scrawny fellow with a mop of brown hair, strands sprouting from the very top to lend him a nonchalant air.

"Ok, it sounds like that got off to a bad start. Mind if we start over? Hi, I'm Olaf, and I play the drums!" His expression was earnest to a fault, so much so that Elsa felt the anger and anxiety that had flared up when confronting the redhead begin to fade.

One deep breath later and she was ready to respond. "Hello, Olaf. I wasn't looking for a fight, I just want to be able to finish my homework at a reasonable time tonight, and you have been making that very difficult for me."

"Of course, of course! We were done tonight anyway, and I wouldn't want to bother you." He paused, seeming to consider something, before continuing, "Could I stop by tomorrow to talk about this more? I'm home by four. I'll just need a bit of time to talk with everyone, and you seem very busy so I shouldn't keep you." The way he spoke left the impression that he already thought of her as a friend; stranger still, Elsa was ok with that. Every word felt perfectly genuine; the man just didn't seem to have an ounce of guile anywhere in him.

Better, he had provided a path out of the situation for her. Relief was apparent as she replied, "Yes, that will be fine. I'll see you at four o'clock, then." Even if she'd wanted to it seemed as though trying to keep any anger up was a losing proposition against someone so fervently nice.

"Good, good! It was nice meeting you, Elsa! Have a wonderful night!"

As she began walking away Elsa heard her adversary speak up. "How are you so good at the drums, Olaf, you are like the least punk person _ever_."

The third person responded. "You're more than enough for all of us, Anna. Maybe we should let Olaf answer the door when you're fired up like that?"

The girl went to the entrance rather than responding. When she noticed Elsa looking back she scowled, then stuck her tongue out and shut the door, leaving the glass rattling once more. Somehow a thought struggled its way out from beneath the debris of Elsa's discomfort and relief, floating to the front of her mind.

_That was kind of cute._

_No. You stop that right now, Elsa. She's a jerk, don't you dare. _Shaking her head at her unruly mind, Elsa returned home.

The confrontation provided mixed results. Olaf did indeed visit, apologetically explaining that between class and work schedules for the band members they only had time to play together in the late evening. As he told it the band had spoken with the neighbors when they started, but they hadn't planned any further than that. The apology seemed sincere enough, in part because Olaf himself was utterly ingenuous. Enthusiasm punctuated every sentence he spoke, and after a tangent or two about their music it was apparent that Olaf truly enjoyed playing, enough so that Elsa couldn't bring herself to even want them to stop entirely, let alone to ask for it. While arguing with the girl before it had felt much more reasonable to demand that they cease entirely, but now that she was having a proper conversation Elsa was happier to find a compromise. Even then she felt a twinge of regret that she would be the reason that Olaf wouldn't get to play quite as much as he clearly wanted to. They eventually settled on simply limiting the practice time, ending still later than Elsa liked but at least avoiding the truly late nights. On a whim Elsa also promised to give them a heads up if she was ever going to be away, just so that they could play on those nights without worrying about her. It helped her feel slightly less like she had just denied a puppy its treats.

It didn't take long to see why Olaf treated everyone like a friend: in his eyes, everyone _was_ a friend. Elsa had never met someone quite so unrelentingly happy. His joyous goofiness proved infectious, providing a lighthearted counterpoint to the acrimony from the previous night. It was strange for Elsa to imagine him living with such an ill-tempered roommate. Perhaps he was simply too relaxed to be bothered by her? In any case she was hesitant to bring the fight up, not wanting to spoil the visit with a conversation about someone who had triggered such immediate dislike. With any luck she'd not have to deal with that particular issue at all.

Perhaps she should have known better. Elsa had never been very lucky.

No drop in the temperature manifested during the weekend as the summer seemed unwilling to go out peacefully. This didn't sit well with Elsa, who much preferred a nice cold snap to a heat wave, doubly so when there was no air conditioning in the house. In better conditions Elsa's room would usually have every door, window, and curtain sealed tightly, but the hope of catching what little breeze there was to be had temporarily overwhelmed the tendency. It didn't amount to much, but even getting a little help was a victory. Thankfully her room was on a rear corner of the house, offering a second floor view of the new neighbors on one side and a small forest on the other. The windows facing the other building were blocked off by a bookshelf, but the trees would keep their peace well enough. The window towards them stood open.

Most of the Elsa's Saturday had been spent on the computer working through an English essay, mostly in an attempt to take her mind off the mounting heat and sweat gradually soaking through her shirt. By the time the afternoon rolled around it became clear that wasn't going to be enough. Since she was fairly certain she couldn't fit herself in the freezer downstairs she decided on the next best thing, a nice cold shower followed by lazing about with a book. The cool water proved difficult to leave. Chill rivulets wrote out a compelling case as they ran through her hair, over her shoulders, down the small of her back. It wasn't until well after most people would have been left shivering that she left, savoring the last few moments before wrapping in a towel and stepping into the lurking heat once more.

Her room appeared much less dire this time around, though that was sure to change as the last remnants of the shower dried, and Elsa was determined to make the most of it. The towel was banished to its hook on the wall while Elsa enjoyed the lingering cold. The wind had began to stir as well, running fantastically through the open window and over bare skin. In fact, judging by how it was rustling through the trees it must have picked up quite a lot. No, that wasn't quite right, just wind wouldn't cause the branches to shake like that. Maybe…a…

It wasn't a squirrel. The shaking stilled as Elsa made eye contact with the red-headed source, shock rooting her in place as the intruder's mouth fell open in surprise. The girl came around slightly faster than Elsa could, recovering her wits just enough to give a wide-eyed thumbs up with her spare hand, the other being necessary to hold fast on a swaying branch. The gesture was enough to remind Elsa that she was quite naked, a realization followed immediately by a squeak and a dash towards the towel, then a dive onto her bed and out of sight of the unexpected guest. Hiding accomplished, Elsa's brain tried, and failed, to process what had just happened. What was still happening, as a voice floated into the room.

"So, I guess Jacquie was the one who moved out. Err, hi."

Elsa gave herself a second before leaving the protection of her covers, securing the towel as she stood hidden against the wall. Safely shielded from prying eyes once more Elsa leaned her head just past the window frame, hissing, "What on _earth_ are you doing there?!"

"Climbing!" The answer was delivered with an infuriatingly matter-of-fact tone, as though there was nothing at all wrong with the situation. Somewhat more defensively she continued, "I got permission."

"Permission from _who_?"

"Jacquie, of cou…" Elsa could almost hear the pieces click into place in the ensuing pause. "Oh. That's…that probably doesn't work anymore. Can I still climb your tree?"

"_No you cannot still climb my tree!_" The blush marching across Elsa's face continued to grow deeper, but now irritation was beginning to take over for embarrassment to fuel its spread. That this girl would even ask that question was baffling, how could she possibly think Elsa would be inclined to do her a favor at this point? She didn't even know the girl's name yet, and they were yet to meet each other without a fight starting. Did she really expect to just skip right past everything to being forgiven for casually spying on Elsa? Just how self-centered was this brat?

"Great. Are you planning to do anything other than ruin my fun here, or is that it? First you try to shut down the band, and now no climbing? What's next, a curfew?" The biting tone took Elsa aback – was this girl trying to make _her_ out as the bad guy here?

"How is this _my_ fault? _You're_ the one peeking in on me! And why this tree? There are hundreds out there that won't have you staring in my window!"

The redhead didn't seem to have a good response, but she wasn't letting that stop her. "Look not every tree is as cool as this one, none of the others let you go as high at the top of the hill here! And it's not like I was _trying_ to spy on you, I had no idea you'd be…try climbing it, you'll see why …" None of the rambling seemed to be moving quickly enough towards an apology as Elsa decided she'd had enough.

"You asked for my permission, and my answer is no. I'm _not_ going to keep arguing like this, and I think that you should go home now." To lend weight to her decision, and to cut off the chance for any further conversation, Elsa reached across with her free hand to close the window. Right before it slid shut some last few words drifted in, being muttered angrily under the intruder's breath.

"Stuck-up bitch, probably hasn't even climbed before…" Elsa didn't let any reaction to the jab show as she drew the blinds. It wasn't until she sat on her bed and pulled her legs up close, bangs brushing against her knees, that the shaking began. Adrenaline had steadied her briefly, but it drained swiftly once she was no longer face to face with her adversary.

_Gods, I'm not made for this sort of thing. Last year, and now this…can't I just be left alone? _Ragged breaths counted out the minutes as she waited in vain for her mind to settle. Conflict was never something that she sought out, and yet in the span of a single week here she'd already had to face off twice against just one person. If this was how things were going to be for the next year…well, she could keep hiding in her room like always. So long as she kept her windows closed.


	2. Chapter 2

Autumn arrived meekly, seemingly afraid to notify summer that it had overstayed its welcome. With the calendar nearly ready to see September out there were only furtive reminders that the season had changed, the occasional cool night or overcast morning offering a glimpse of normality amidst the irrational heat. Even Elsa's sleep was fed up with the weather, dropping her occasionally into a white-capped mountainscape as she rested. Snow driven by a fierce wind lashed against her, each pinprick crystal fueling the burning exhilaration of the storm as she was swept along, hurled aloft on frigid whirlwinds. An icy peak cut through the blizzard, rising sheer above the clouds to a frozen stillness, stars overlooking the roiling tumult below as Elsa…found herself waking up, left arm tingling from being pinned beneath her.

Dull thumps shuddered in from outside, the sound of speakers pushed loud enough to warp music from an art into a blunt instrument. Glowing red symbols announced the time as 11:28 PM, nearly to the Saturday after her last run-in with her neighborhood nemesis. How kind of them, Elsa mused darkly, Any longer and they'd be ruining my birthday. Not that she had anything planned, none of her few friends had followed her to this university, and she hadn't opened up any since arriving. Through clubs and classes she'd made a couple of friends, but none close enough to know there was anything special about tomorrow. Over the week a sense of melancholy had built into a proper gloom; she missed having a day where people might make a fuss about her. It was nice feeling like it was ok for once, and back home Meri had always found a new way to surprise her, some fun little plan that fit Elsa better than a crowded party could have.

Truth be told, Elsa would have welcomed a nice surprise tomorrow if one decided to show up, but the one that had awakened her was not the nice sort.

This was just too much. Sure, she might not have anything to wake for in the morning, that was hardly the point. They had no right! They hadn't even asked her, and this was so soon after she'd asked them to be more considerate. Not that she'd have been happy with it even they had asked, but without a single warning this was inexcusable. What would they expect her to do, just lie there listening to the dull thuds until she built up a headache to match? This needed to stop one way or another. She could be generous in ending it, but it would have to end. One last chance might be more than they deserved, but she would offer it anyway. One more unwanted conversation.

Elsa angrily pulled a blouse on over her pajama tops and grabbed her still more-or-less clean jeans from the day before. Her hair was a disaster, but she was flatly uninterested in appearing to be either calm or conciliatory right now. She was far too tired of this to care.

Sleep still had its claws sunk into her head as she found her way into the unfriendly dark, the only light in her house cast in a streetlight glow. It was only once she yanked the front door open to glare at the outside world that her nerves made themselves known – a jittery pressure squeezing her chest and skull. The grip was gentle for now, but it threatened to grow worse while clattering down the few steps to the sidewalk. Restless air fed an uneasy sensation by stirring leaf and limb to life, and despite only having a few dozen feet to travel Elsa felt immediately out of her depth. There was too much energy to it, and too little space to breath. The tension poured in, sending tremors through hands clenching around whatever shred of control they could hold on to.

Even that small fragment of stability was shaken upon seeing who she'd have to deal with. Of course it would be her on the front porch, sitting on a distressingly filthy couch that seemed to have begun as some indeterminate tan beneath the patchwork grime. Another girl was sitting beside her, sideways with one leg down and the other tucked beneath a startlingly short shirt, fitting long pulls from a smoldering cigarette into the gaps in the conversation. The one Elsa recognized had a sleeveless black top that ended before it quite reached her pants, which were jeans saved from being too warm for the weather by the sheer quantity of tears down each leg. Elsa's eyes lingered longer than she cared to admit between the cloth, on the bare skin those gaps revealed. Whatever this girl's flaws, she kept herself in distressingly fine shape.

Elsa wrenched her eyes upwards when she realized the target of her staring was looking back her way. Brief panic swept in, the thought that this particular annoyance of a neighbor might have caught her moment of distraction upending what little control she'd held on to. Elsa now felt woefully underdressed to demand anything, her angry haste having robbed her of the chance to be at least presentable when facing down what was likely to be a fight very soon. She didn't even know what to say, which seemed to be just fine with her adversary who took the chance to speak up instead.

"Oooh, now this is a party." She stood and crossed her arms, continuing, "I was wondering if you'd show up. What's your command this time, Ice Queen? Did we manage to bother you again?" There was an odd twist in her voice, some obscure fragment of meaning set adrift in her tone. Her gaze was penetrating, rummaging over Elsa as though she was expecting to find something. It almost seemed like she was expecting this, and Elsa had no idea how to respond to that feeling.

"Could I maybe talk to Olaf?" Elsa felt small standing below her, caught in the grasp of the figure standing backlit over her. Something was going on here that she didn't understand. A friendly face would go a long way to lending her some strength, but it wasn't meant to be.

"No. This is my party, if you have a problem with it then you have a problem with me. Whatever you have to say you can say right now. What's your problem with me?" Again, she was acting like she was the one being attacked here, even though Elsa had only come to ask for silence. How could she be so self-centered to think she was the victim here?

Indignation lent Elsa the courage that she hadn't been able to find before. "If you are going to insist on being irrationally angry whenever I see you then I suppose yes, I do have a problem with you. I was very clear before, you simply cannot be so noisy in the middle of the night!" Elsa was unsurprised to note that her foe didn't appear swayed by this. She didn't know much about this girl, but the stubborn streak was as clear as the white down her braid.

"Are you serious? It's Friday. If we can't party on a Friday then when can we? I doubt you're even doing anything tomorrow! So why are you trying so hard to ruin our fun? I don't even get why it is that we need to ask you for permission in the first place, why do you get to decide what we do? It's not fair!" She was, Elsa realized, a little drunk, and more than a little wound up about something.

The flippant way that she'd guessed Elsa had nothing tomorrow stung, even if there was no way she could have known that the day meant anything to Elsa. Because of it Elsa's response was fiercer than she intended, her nervousness showing through as she snapped, "You insist on acting like this is my fault. You are the one who keeps bothering me, I don't have to simply accept that you can interrupt me whenever you want! If I want to sleep then I should be able to, it doesn't matter that I'm not doing anything tomorrow!"

"Aha! I knew it! You just admitted that you don't have a reason! And it's not even that late!" At least the smugness in her face made it easy not to get distracted by anything else, but her triumph at Elsa accidentally confirming that her Saturday was empty only further served to get under her skin.

"It's midnight! But that isn't even the point, you're ignoring half-" The interruption brought a sense of deja-vu, the redhead getting into a groove and running right over Elsa just like last time.

"I don't get it, why would you even want to be asleep yet? There's so much of the night left! So much….so much left to do! If you weren't such a killjoy I might even have invited you, but no, you're just here to try and ruin my fun again. Why?"

What did she want from Elsa? "I've already told you why, you are refusing to listen! Could you be any more frustrating? Can you stop thinking of yourself for one second and consider that maybe this isn't all about you?"

The other girl, still sitting on the couch, was looking back and forth, clearly wanting neither to get involved or to draw attention to herself by leaving. She almost jumped when the now angry host waved back at her, bristling, "Everyone here is having fun, you're the one asking all of us to stop just for you!"

Elsa was done. She wasn't comfortable being here in the first place, and she was certainly not going to stand here just to listen to accusations that she was being selfish. Maybe without the history the two of them had managed to acquire over the last few weeks Elsa might have been willing to back down, but she'd put up with enough by now. "Look, I came here to try to be polite. You can listen to me like you should, or I can make you stop. It'll be easier for all of us if you just turn down the music."

"You can make me? I'd like to see that! No, I'm not going to back down just because you can't leave your bed without getting pissy." She seemed as done with the conversation as Elsa, finishing haughtily, "Now, we're going to go enjoy ourselves." With that she turned, grabbed her wide-eyed friend's hand, and marched into the crowd within.

The last thing Elsa heard was the third girl speaking just loudly enough to hear, starting, "Anna, she seems pretty mad. We might need to…" Elsa never heard what they might need, the rest of the sentence drowned out by the wave of noise pouring out through the open door. When it closed Elsa was left standing in the dark, the shakes taking over now that she was alone. Her neighbor had made her decision, and had been enough of a jerk in the process that Elsa knew what to do next. It wouldn't have to be her that got them to stop.

When she got to her room she booted up her computer, found the non-emergency number for the police, and after a short time spent composing herself dialed the number in the dark. The woman who answered was very receptive to the noise complaint, telling Elsa that an officer would come as soon as one was available. Once that was done there was nothing to do but go back downstairs to lurk in the living room as just one more shadow, albeit one thoroughly wrapped up in blankets. She was mad now, too mad to either rest or to risk missing watching this. Elsa wanted to see her neighbor – Anna, come to think of it she'd finally overheard a name for the girl – have to face the consequences of being such a miserable person over the last few weeks.

Fuming anger kept her going for a while, still fed by music that was no quieter now than before, but the satisfaction she'd hoped for failed to materialize. Trepidation found her instead, cutting through the lonely dark to settle on her like a cold fog. This was starting to feel too similar to last year, having to ask other people to take care of her problems, and thoughts of Hans were the last thing she needed right now. She knew that she had been right; his advances at the school library had been totally inappropriate for work, and his insistence in the face of her denying him…she'd been lucky that Tamora, the woman in charge of staffing for most of the school's libraries, fired him so quickly after the complaint. But even then it hadn't been satisfying, knowing that he was gone. She'd trade revenge for forgetting in a heartbeat, for no long associating the formerly welcoming shelves of books with the lurking unease he'd left behind.

A greasy lump of negative emotion was building in her stomach, and the only thing Elsa had found that helped was finding something to distract her. The nervous motion of the night helped, a breeze adding its touch in leaf-cast shadows dancing through the windows and splaying over the floor. At points the patterns swayed nearly in time to the beat flowing in, the time and measure easy enough to make out through too many walls.

The difficulty of ignoring the music served a better purpose now. At the least her recent spats with her neighbor didn't hold the same looming threat as these memories, and so her irritation with this Anna could for now be a shield. The attempt worked immediately, as Elsa realized with a start that the voice in the current song was familiar. The words were muddled with the distance, but the tumble that came through sounded very much like the girl she'd just called the cops on. Which would mean the drum work was Olaf's. Well, she had no quarrel with him, and she'd not actually heard any of his songs properly. If she was going to be up anyway she might as well wait outside and listen in.

Years of music lessons leapt out of Elsa's memory as she stepped back out her front door, leaning against the short railing and closing her eyes to focus. Most of it was useless, classical strings and vocal practice in the face of a raucous punk edge, but it at least left a framework for her. The last time she'd come close enough to listen other worries had preoccupied her, but now she was free to pay attention to the music. With some good will towards at least one of the participants she was even open to acknowledging that parts of it might be tolerable.

Anna has not been wrong. It wasn't a complex beat, but it was played with poise, Olaf's embellishments managing to shade in complexity without ever faltering in driving the song forward. Elsa didn't know enough about the instrument to pick out anything particularly special that he might be doing, but everything she could follow was well done. Annoyingly, she knew more about the vocal work, and she had to begrudgingly admit that there was genuine talent there too. Her grumpiness would have much preferred if the singing was the weak point, since finding respect for the redhead didn't sit well with her current mood. It would have been a lie, though. Even if Elsa didn't like the style, hurtling between a lower, throaty timbre and a shrieking fury in the highest notes, the transition between the two was written in pure tones, fracturing around the edges under the energy coursing within. Her range was extraordinary; Elsa had always been proud of her own abilities, but without keeping in practice she couldn't possibly hope to match.

Ok, damnit, Elsa could be fair if she had to. The girl was good. Annoyingly so. Things were so much easier in her head when she could paint the brat with a single broad stroke, but this put a frustrating asterisk up. 'Total pain in the ass* (*but damn, she can sing!)' Worse, it loosened the lid enough that a second caveat snuck out: she was cute, definitely, inarguably attractive. Elsa had successfully ignored it after the first two encounters, but even she had to admit it after this third. The black top had clung tight in all the right ways to be a different sort of bother, and the sunny scatter of freckles had caught Elsa's eye even in the dark of the night. Not that it mattered buried under a personality like that, but still, this was a thought that Elsa wasn't going to be able to shove it back in the box. She was a frustrating, stubborn, self-centered, inattentive, contrary, inconsiderate, utter pain of a neighbor with whom everything had gone perfectly, spectacularly wrong. Just her sort of luck.

Most irritating of all, hearing Olaf in the song had forced her to acknowledge that Anna truly was not the only person at the party, and not all of them had earned the surprise of the police knocking at the door unannounced. Olaf was the only person she might actually know there, but even ignoring him the rest probably deserved a second chance, even if the one she'd just fought with was already past her third. It had been bad luck running into Anna first, anyone else would probably have been more likely to listen. They probably still would be.

I must be completely crazy. All she had to do was wait a while longer and someone else would take care of all this for her, and yet here she was, staring down her front steps for the second time tonight and considering bringing herself to a conversation that couldn't possibly end well. Maybe it was just exhaustion clouding her thoughts. Maybe it was actually the right thing to do. Whatever the reason was, she went. A relieved breath escaped when she found no one waiting for her on the porch this time, but she pulled it back in when it came time to knock. This time she really could just turn around and go home. No one knew she was here.

She knocked, and waited. No one came. Only after a few seconds had passed did she realize it was possible no one had heard her. They really were not making this easy for her, with all these chances to chicken out, but she was unexpectedly determined to see this through. She rapped on the door again, hard enough to hurt but apparently not sufficient to be noticed as again the door stayed closed. This clearly wasn't working. It would have to be plan B, then.

Ok, calm down. You can do this, you just need to stay collected. Don't react to anyone, don't show that you've noticed anyone looking even if you are still wearing your pajamas. All you have to do is get in, get someone's attention, and explain that you have called the cops because of the noise and because that girl, Anna, told you off the first time. Breathe. Alright. Time to go. She cracked the door open and took stock of the scene. Olaf wasn't anywhere in sight; neither was the girl she was hoping to avoid. The press of people held a bewildering variety of fashion, trending towards the sort that looked like trouble followed in their wake. The sheer number of piercings gave Elsa pause; the six she had noticed on her neighbor seemed downright conservative against some of the folk here. Most held a bottle or cup, and a number of those people looked a hair young to have them. Elsa was stuck, unsure who to approach but unable to simply stand at the door for much longer without drawing attention, until she realized that one of the partygoers was familiar. Between the height, blond hair, and broad shoulders Elsa was fairly certain he was the man that had pulled Anna back the first time they fought. That presumably meant that he lived here, which made him into the new end goal.

Elsa set her shoulders, settled her expression, and began making her way through the crowd as imperiously as anyone in pajamas possibly could, stoically ignoring everyone and hoping that they would return the favor. Frankly she wasn't even the least formal person here, seeing some of the outfits that she passed, but right now that wasn't important. All that mattered was delivering her message before escaping to somewhere she could breathe. And to do that she needed to get the attention of the man in front of her.

Elsa reached up to tap on one wide shoulder, certain that nothing she might say would be heard until he noticed her. His expression as he turned was relaxed, an easy smile replaced by puzzlement, clearly uncertain as to who she was. The confusion carried through in his voice as he asked, shouting over the music, "Uh, hello. Have we met yet?"

"Yes, but I don't believe that we've been properly introduced. I'm Elsa Arendal, I saw you a few weeks ago outside your band practice?"

Recognition lit up his expression like a struck match, humor close on its tail. Something about her being here seemed to make sense to him, part of a joke that only he was in on. "Hey, I do remember you! You're here for Anna's birthday party? I mean, I had been wondering. Though," he frowned and cocked his head, some recollection bringing confusion to his face when he continued, "I thought that you weren't supposed to be here tonight? And now that I look you don't seem to be dressed like you're planning to hang around. Is something wrong?"

Elsa felt a bit lost. The young man's reaction didn't make sense given her understanding of the situation. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. What talk are you referring to? If you mean tonight I'm not certain how she could have said it went well."

"No, I meant…" A couple of emotions worked through his face, ending with resignation as he finished flatly, "She didn't talk to you about the party, did she. Oh, that little…no wonder she was so amped up, she was hoping for a fight. You weren't told, then?"

"That you were planning to wake me up around midnight? No, I was not." This was not was Elsa had expected, but it at least vindicated her decision to come back. It might also explain why Anna hadn't seemed surprised when Elsa met her outside, if she had in fact intended to lure Elsa into an argument. Though why would anyone plan something like that? There was no point to it as far as she could see, unless Anna was simply intending to be annoying for its own sake. That didn't seem like enough of a reason.

A big hand went up to massage the back of an equally large head as he took in the situation, eventually apologizing, "Look, I'm really sorry about this. You were supposed to be told, but because it's Anna's party, and because I was hoping it would help cool things down a bit, I asked her to give the neighbors a heads up about it. I need to go find her, this isn't fair to you. Or anyone, if she didn't tell anybody." He started to turn away, but Elsa caught his free hand to hold him in place.

"A second, if you will. I may have reacted a little too quickly after running into Anna outside earlier." Bushy eyebrows rose, but he said nothing as she sheepishly admitted, "You should probably know I filed a noise complaint with the police, and they are planning to send someone over. I wouldn't have, only I lost my temper a bit when talking with her."

This news took a bit longer for him to process, holding him place as it sunk in. Eventually he sighed deeply, muttering to himself too quietly to be heard before speaking up sardonically, "Well, you're hardly the first to lose their temper around her. It's basically her superpower." His tone suggested he was speaking from personal experience. "For now I need to handle this, we'll need to clean up a bit before they show up. Also, Anna's going to lose it when she hears and I think you might want to not be here when that happens. And…" He paused, weighing his words before finishing, "Thanks for telling us. I don't know what Anna said to you, but I've got a pretty good guess, and I know you didn't have to warn us. Anna's just going to have to deal." He was already turning at the last words, the crowd parting for him as he went.

Elsa felt miserable. He didn't seem mad at her at all, which left her feeling like a jerk that she hadn't tried to find a second person to talk to before calling the cops on them. There wasn't even anything she could do. She would have to leave the explanations to the man now talking closely to a fellow behind the speakers. Furthermore, her energy had run out: all she was looking forward to now was crawling back into bed. Having nothing to look forward to tomorrow was still an improvement over the rollercoaster tonight had turned into. At least it meant she could sleep all this off.

The music volume plummeted shortly after she reached the second floor, low enough that she could ignore the trickle that eked through the glass of her windows. Yawns caught up with her as her socks came off, for once being tossed on the floor rather than put away in the hamper. Elsa wasn't in the mood to care about that right now. Heavy eyelids were a pleasant surprise once under her covers. She had been worried that sleep would be slow to arrive after an eventful awakening, but instead it was wasting no time in carrying her away. Thoughts began to diffuse into dream as soon as her head hit the pillow.

*THUNK*

Something struck the window from outside, Elsa's heart rate spiking as quickly as she bolted upright. Looking at the clock she found that no more than fifteen minutes could have passed, still hours before the darkness outside would be lifted. Another noise followed, a softer strike than a rock but still solid enough to show a fair bit of force behind the throw. The third indicated that whoever it was probably wasn't going away for a while, and Elsa had a sinking suspicion that her fight with Anna had just developed a part four. Creeping reluctantly out of bed Elsa pulled aside the curtain just enough to peek through, jumping as a pinecone struck the glass right in front of her. It was difficult to see, but there did seem to be a figure in the tree already reaching up for more ammunition.

Elsa did not want to find out how persistent this little curse would be if she tried to ignore it, resigning herself to open the window a crack and hiss, "What could you possibly want this time?"

Another pinecone answered first, well-aimed enough that so that it bounced off the screen covering the gap. The expected voiced followed behind. "I can't believe you called the cops! We listen to a little music and you call the cops? Why are you trying so hard to ruin everything for me?" Hurt seeped into every word, and Elsa couldn't understand it.

"I don't want to have to ruin anything! I just want to be left alone, and you don't seem to know how to do that. Even right now! It's the middle of the night and I only want to sleep."

Branches creaked under agitated motion as the figure outside repositioned. "Well, fine then, shut the windows, lock the doors! What are you so afraid of?"

How was she supposed to answer that? It was too late to think, let alone argue. Just staying upright was difficult, exhaustion threatening to take her legs out from under her any moment now. Desperate for any end to this, she pleaded, "Just...go away, Anna. If you really want to talk we can do so later, but for now, please, go away. For once just let me sleep." A yawn escaped to prove her need for sleep, and surprisingly it was the only sound from either of them. Elsa had expected a response given Anna's previous insistence on winning the arguments she found herself in, but this time none came. The last thing that Elsa heard was a soft "hmph" and the rattle of needles in a sudden descent. She listened to her go quietly, too worn out to think clearly about anything yet still wanting to be certain that this would be the last interruption. The creak of old boards and a secondary thud told Elsa that she was probably over the fence, which was enough. Sleep welcomed her with open arms when she returned to bed, leaving her thoughts for the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The following weeks finally saw summer get the boot, at last allowing cooler winds to settle in like a sigh of relief. Elsa reveled in the change which, alongside a blessed lack of interruptions in the lengthening nights, was finally making her feel at home after the initial tumult following the move and the new semester. There was just one problem: she had inadvertently wound up with a redheaded grudge haunting her morning commute. It began on the Monday after her trifecta of run-ins. Elsa had been pointedly buried in a book as she waited for her bus to arrive, headphones providing a shield of quiet ambience to fully seal her away from the outside world. Peripheral vision proved to be the weak link in her armor as she noticed a newcomer arrive at the stop.

Fate was clearly enjoying itself. Rust-red twin braids, a button-up plaid shirt that looked to be about as professional as the girl would allow, and a scowl that was either addressed at Elsa's presence or at the concept of being awake right now added up to one markedly disgruntled Anna. Thin cords running from a left pocket traced lines to earbuds, lending her the same protection from her surroundings as Elsa. She didn't appear to be interested in a fight this time, walking by to lean against a tree from which she could watch for the bus without having to look past Elsa. It wasn't subtle, but it also wasn't confrontational, and being ignored suited Elsa just fine. That she had never returned to finish their midnight quarrel was a blessing as far as Elsa chose to think of it. For now leaving each other to listen to their own music wasn't likely to lead to anything.

The two managed to pointedly ignore each other splendidly over those weeks spent crawling out of the heat. Four mornings per week they greeted each other with inattention, music shielding them from any need for communication. The closest they came to interacting were the occasional glances Elsa caught from the back of the bus, and even those lost their angry edge as the weeks went by. By the time the leaves began turning in earnest they had settled into an unspoken truce. Elsa was perfectly happy with the situation.

At least that's what she kept telling herself. They weren't fighting about anything now. They were keeping out of each other's way. It should have been exactly what Elsa wanted.

So, after all this time why couldn't she keep the fights out of her head? It wasn't like her to dwell on an issue after it was solved, and yet redheaded thoughts kept sneaking in, even when safely hidden away in her room as she was now. Perhaps it was that Elsa wasn't as comfortable as she felt she should have been with how she'd handled everything so far. It was her room, just as much her neighborhood as the other girl's, but guilt lingered about being the one to put a stop to the nonsense, just like it still did with Olaf and his drums. The feeling stuck even after a surprise Olaf visit, fueled apparently by an accidental surplus of freshly-baked cookies, let her know that only Anna was left with any ill-will over the night. She picked up one more name in the process: Kristoff, the big guy she'd found at the party, and whom apparently had given Anna a stern talking-to afterwards that Elsa expected had been entirely ignored.

If only she could put things out of her own thoughts so easily. The details that managed to stick around weren't even the ones that made sense. The direct insults were easy to forget, but her nemesis apparently had a knack for getting under Elsa's skin accidentally. For instance, she hadn't been wrong when saying that Elsa never had climbed a tree in her life. She could envision falling from one a lot more clearly than whatever is was that people enjoyed about it. Mad, the lot of them, and particularly the redheaded one that had managed to wedge this thorn right where it would be felt most.

"Aaargh!" Elsa rested her face in her hands, pressing fingers against her temple as though to physically push the annoyance away. Knowing that she shouldn't be bothered by this clearly wasn't going to save her from utter distraction, and she couldn't hide from her own mind. The problem was determined to stick with her no matter where she went, fading only when she managed to dig into a particularly complex problem, and her homework was already quite done. She'd have to figure something else out to fix this.

Well, there was one part of this that she could shut up, right now. She was twenty one years old. She could drink, she could live on her own, so if she bloody well wanted to then she could climb a tree. She wouldn't have to go anywhere since apparently she just so happened to have a good one right outside her window. How hard could it be? It was something children did. All she needed to do was pin her braid up, slip into an old t-shirt that wouldn't mind a little dirt, and grab the right shoes. It wouldn't be more than a few minutes, and the exertion would hopefully settle her thoughts.

The old fir loomed imposingly over Elsa as she hopped down the steps to the yard. The house wasn't exactly new, but its coniferous sentry must have been standing here even longer to stretch up so very high above her. She didn't have to go to the top. Maybe only high enough to see over the roof, that should be good. Twenty five feet, thirty at most, and she'd be able to see what the fuss was about. Nothing to it. From the base it didn't even look like quite so much, the top being lost to sight amidst branch and needle. Elsa squashed her trepidation as she hooked her hands over a low branch just at head height, giving herself time for a deep breath to steel her nerves. It felt sturdy enough as she tested her weight, swinging her legs free of the ground to hang. Only a slight tremor shivered through the wood as she did, the needles at the periphery taking little note of this slim figure adding its weight.

_Ok, here I go._

Pulling herself onto the first branch was as easy as she hoped, though the rough bark promised to leave its mark behind on fair skin unaccustomed to this sort of treatment. The next branches were nearer at hand as she pulled herself to her feet, fitting herself through the clearest gap. Bits of detritus shook loose from each branch she grasped, though Elsa opted to ignore the mess it was likely making of her. Muscles protested at the unusual stress of heaving herself upwards and a thin sweat was building, but Elsa found that this was more exciting than she had expected. The tree felt quite a lot steadier under her than it had looked like it might, and save for a few body-length gaps most of the climb was no more difficult than if the branches were the rungs of a ladder. The longer gaps weren't so intimidating either, given how easy her grip was made by the bark. It seemed like mere moments had passed before she reached the level of her window, pausing to rest on the very same branch that brat had stood on when they fought. The tree didn't seem to be thinning out at all, offering a clear path weaving upwards.

And so up Elsa went. Her confidence in her safety was surprising, but through her steady, cautious climb she hadn't felt any fear of slipping yet. Having nothing more than trust in her grip between her and a two-story tumble was proving exhilarating. Adrenaline scoffed at the idea of stopping level with the roof, and so she kept going. Only a little further and she'd be above the canopy of the bordering woodland, and through the needles and cones she could see a good gap in the branches that should offer a nearly unobstructed vantage point. No need to stop short if this was going so well. Perhaps the top would have to remain for another day, but she could at least do better than the bare minimum.

A heavy bough awaited the climber when she reached the gap, swaying ever so slightly as she clambered up. A thin branch, newly sprouted to fill the space, provided a handhold as she carefully turned to face outward before settling down, legs swinging freely on either side of her perch. Finally certain that she was secure, Elsa looked out.

An angry, contrary corner of her mind wanted her to say that this was nothing special, but the rest of her was too much in awe to listen. The grueling uphill walk to get home suddenly seemed a gift as she overlooked patchwork rooftops fit in amongst the streets, the landscape falling away until it reached water miles and miles distant, glimmering gold in a fire-lit sunset. People and cars crawled along their paths, meandering under streetlamps flickering to life. Other trees, resplendent in autumn colors, were studded throughout, offering haphazard chunks of color to the scene. And yet distance kept the sight quiet, separation leaving the sounds of the city an abstract technicality, something required but not really necessary.

Elsa almost hated to admit it, but her neighbor had a point. Not enough to justify spying on her like she had, but this…it wouldn't be easy to give it up. The heady rush of the climb, and then the splendor found once she ascended beyond everything else around, it was maybe something worth holding on to. In fact, Elsa was taken aback by just how little weight her earlier arguments seemed to hold now that she looked back on them, the giddiness at having dared to attempt this coloring her perspective. It helped to realize that this was the first thing Anna had caused, even if indirectly, that Elsa was actually enjoying. Maybe, just maybe, she could be more lenient about letting the girl up here. Assuming she promised not to look.

_It might not be so bad if she looks. _The thought leapt free of Elsa's subconscious, the bars making up its cage having been loosened by the thrill of the climb. A deep blush followed immediately, plus a vigorous head shake to try and dislodge the unruly musings. It was an absurd thing to think. Ok, so perhaps Anna _was_ cute, but they hadn't had a conversation yet without getting angry at one another. There was no way of knowing if she was even interested in that way. Elsa had never even been told the girl's name, having only found out accidentally by overhearing it. But from up here her reasons for never asking Olaf seemed insubstantial, silly concessions to a discomfort that didn't deserve the attention she minded it. Maybe one these mornings she could try to start a conversation, if only to break the streak of their meeting when they already had reason to be angry. Surely nothing too terrible could happen.

With a start Elsa realized that while she had sat musing the sun had begun to set in earnest, darkness springing up as it sank to the horizon. She would have to climb down before it got dim enough to complicate the process. As it was the trunk of the tree was shadowed by the crisscross branches, muddling the depth of each step. It wasn't too bad yet, but she couldn't wait any longer.

It was at this point that Elsa learned something else about climbing trees: the trip down is not at all the same as the trip up. It wasn't so bad at first, just a few butterflies as she transferred her weight to the first step. The second step's gap left her stomach in disarray, her caution screaming against the need to transfer her weight without being able to test the branch the same way she had on the way up. Even so she managed alright until the first body-length gap that she'd pulled herself past before. It became clear immediately that she'd have to commit to the drop before her foot had found purchase. Two attempts ended in failure. No matter how much she told herself that she would land on the branch exactly where she knew it was, her nerve failed when it came to the point of actually letting herself slide far enough that she'd have need to rely solely on her grip if her feet found only air. She simply wasn't long enough to bridge the gap while still keeping her chest solidly, if painfully, on the bark. Her confidence had failed her just as quickly as it had surprised her before. She was stuck.

Panic wasn't going to help, but it came anyway. Sweat that had felt well earned on the first part of the climb suddenly clung cold and clammy, weaseling its way under her grip until she feared she might lose it. Shallow breaths pressed her skin roughly into the branch, bark scraping away as she held tight. Blood thundered from her madly beating heart, fear striking a sickening rhythm. And just when she most needed to be able to think things through her head was instead featuring the scene of her slipping off and falling, shattering on the way down.

"You make it hard to enjoy this." The voice cut through her panic as Elsa found that she was no longer alone. The cause for this idiotic plan was standing dozens of feet below, barely visible through the intervening shadows. It was anyone's guess as to how long she had been waiting there, as Elsa didn't have enough presence of mind available to accurately recall how long she had been stuck.

Elsa would have liked to have had a retort, to say something clever to show that she was still in control of the situation. Instead, she barely managed to squeak out, "I can't reach."

"Sure you can, you got up there in the first place." The sardonic tone made it clear that she was determined to have at least some fun with Elsa's predicament despite any difficulty. Upon seeing the blonde make no new attempts to lower herself down her observer sighed, then reached up and swung onto the first branch in one fluid movement. If Elsa hadn't been so thoroughly distracted she'd have been impressed. For the moment she only had attention for her own perch.

The redhead's ascent made Elsa's look glacial by comparison, and before the sun had a chance to slip any further out of sight she was standing confidently below. She set herself against the trunk, feet planted parallel and with one arm on a broken stump of a branch to her right, then commanded, "Drop down, I'll pull you in." The free hand rested firmly against the back of Elsa's knee, a silent reassurance that there was more to rely on than gravity and luck.

"That's easy for you to say." The words came with some difficulty, squeezed out of shallow breaths and against the weight of her body pressing down on her lungs. Nonetheless, the touch against her legs helped. Some blood came back to her face, darkening from the pale of her fear to a blush at having gained an audience to her inglorious position. Even so, embarrassment was hardly enough of a reason to refuse the help, and the terror of falling was more than enough reason to accept. Allowing a sliver of trust in the steadying hand Elsa let herself slide further down, then at last she let herself drop, finding sheepishly that the reassuring grip now on her waist hadn't been necessary after all. Just as Anna had said, once her feet found purchase she did in fact still reach the branch she'd come from, leaving her shaking slightly but otherwise solidly set against both holds.

With a firm push towards the center Elsa let go, flattening herself against her rescuer and trying to reach the stability of the trunk through her, in addition to reaching for a handhold. A soft "Oh" met the sudden pressure, with Elsa studiously avoiding looking at the face now so close to her own, far too mortified to risk eye contact right now. That she was noticeably shaking from relief was already quite enough for her to want to be able to simply disappear. To top it all off, now that she was no longer consumed by having to hang on for dear life Elsa was suddenly keenly aware of the warmth of the lean body she was pressed against, and of just how distracting the arm about her waist was in entirely distinct ways than before.

_I have to get out of this damned tree. _Elsa had a strong suspicion that her head wasn't going to end up any more settled after this climb than before it, but the turmoil was going to feel a lot less dire when compared to this ill-fated adventure.

"Are you okay now? If you want me to help you again you're going to have to let me move."

"Oh! I'm sorry. Sorry. Here, let me just start…I think I can get down from here…" Elsa hurriedly crouched, an awkward maneuver given that there were two of them sharing the space, to reach for the next foothold, wanting to get moving before she made things any more complicated. Needing help in the first place was embarrassing enough, and it just had to be _this_ particular girl who noticed. Determination saw her through the remaining harrowing gaps without incident, though she was certain she heard quiet laughter from above after a particularly graceless landing onto solid ground. Her visitor didn't give her any time to catch her breath, a hail of pinecones clattering to the ground as a barely controlled tumble landed her seated on the last branch, back against the tree and legs idly swinging.

The contrary corner of Elsa's mind had been rudely shoved into a cage over the course of the descent, rendering toothless the distant cries that this was her neighbor's fault in the first place. As awkward as this had been, it would have been ten times worse if Elsa had needed to start shouting until someone came out. Maybe she wouldn't have even have been able to do it, preferring to risk the fall than face anyone while in that position. So really, she'd been saved in two ways tonight, no matter what led to it in the first place, and she'd have to be truly cold-hearted to refuse to be grateful for it.

There was nothing better to say than the obvious, so Elsa spoke first. "Thank you. I guess I should have been more careful before trying that."

"I'm amazed you tried it at all. I've been busy thinking of you as no fun whatsoever and then you not only try climbing, you try hard enough to get stuck? I guess that means I should say sorry, too, I didn't mean to get you trapped in a tree." The tone held a backhanded edge, closer to an apology than anything Elsa had heard from her before but still miles away from actually being one. At least the dig at Elsa appeared to be meant more to tease than to wound. A persistent grin also put the lie to any feigned irritation, proving that her rescuer at least had enjoyed this opportunity, though Elsa wondered if it might only have been so that she could see the blonde struggle. Even if it came from a more fair-minded direction Elsa wasn't willing to share in that amusement, her nerves still running at too high a pitch to feel that this had been anything but a terrible decision. Maybe in the morning she could find the humor in it, but for now relief was the nearest she could manage.

Without warning the redhead kicked her right leg above the branch, spun, and tumbled backwards off the edge. Elsa started and yelped, hands flying up uselessly as somehow her neighbor failed to come crashing to the ground. Fading shock gave way to the realization that the girl's legs were still hooked over the branch, leaving braids dangling beneath what was now a full-blown smirk. Elsa dropped her hands to clasp together as she breathed through the surprise. That was blatantly meant to startle her, and eventually she managed to squeak out, "Why. On earth. Would you do that."

"If I'd had a mirror you'd know why. Your face…" The girl was inordinately pleased with herself, delight at achieving that reaction written in her expression. "Ok, I'll admit it, I think I was wrong about you. You might be some fun after all."

"You're impossible."

"And _you're_ upside-down. You should fix that."

Even less than before, Elsa could not share in the amusement. Apparently her terror from mere minutes earlier was proving a fertile target, and she was thoroughly convinced that she wouldn't be able to handle much more of this. At least it looked like one of them would walk away from this happy. That was technically an improvement. And she still preferred to end this diplomatically.

"Then I will meet you halfway, I'll go lay down. This has been more excitement than I'm accustomed to. So, um, good night." Elsa half turned, making it clear that she was ready to go but offering a chance for her neighbor to say goodbye.

"This early? Oh well. Does this mean I can climb the tree again?" Still dangling casually from the tree like some absurd bat, Anna wasted no time getting to the point. Saying yes seemed to be the easiest way to keep the peace, and the sprawling scene Elsa had found above still lingered in her thoughts despite the harrowing return trip.

"I guess I do owe you now. I'll just have to be careful about keeping my blinds closed."

"Yes!" Her arms, being the only limbs not essential to staying aloft, flailed briefly in excitement, before her eyes widened as her thoughts snagged on a different meaning than she'd intended. "Err, I mean about the climbing, not the blinds. Not that I mean you should keep them open. Or that you would have a reason not to. Of course you would have a reason not to, that's not what I meant…" Her words trailed off into a muddle until she finally caught ahold of whatever mental thread had come loose. Waving her hands slowly in front of her face, she finished with a faux-dramatic, "Ignoooore meee!"

Elsa found the command difficult, held startled by the unexpected wave of flustered babble. The manner with which the last response had run off a verbal cliff was unexpectedly endearing, hardly a feeling that Elsa had been prepared for. She was left without a response, strained silence stretching until she mumbled, "I think I can do that. Bye." An abrupt departure was easier to manage than remaining in a conversation that had outstripped her ability to process it. She finished the turn and began walking towards the front door, hearing the soft thump of a presumably successful landing.

Right before Elsa touched the door handle a shout came from behind. "I'm Anna, by the way. Anna Fossen. I don't think I'd got a chance tell you that yet." The way in which she said it made the name sound like an olive branch, an offering to ward off future battles.

Elsa happily took it, and offered back, "Elsa Arendal. I believe you only got half."

The final response in the dark emerged mischievous. "Well, I had fun today Elsa. I'll see you again…soon." The last bit stopped Elsa short as she stepped inside: just what did she mean by "soon", and why the ominous pause? That and a few other details lingered as she retreated to have a shower, which she hoped would get her feeling right-side-up again.

'_I've been busy thinking of you.' Huh. _No, the context made it clear what was meant, it probably didn't mean anything more than had been said. Likely none of it did. The day had been complicated quite sufficiently already when she had managed to trap herself, and there had been plenty to see right in front of her without imagining more. It would be enough to acknowledge her surprise that, after just how badly the two of them had met the first _several_ times, Anna had nonetheless noticed and chosen to help. The list had gained another entry: her neighbor was a frustrating, stubborn, self-centered, occasionally attentive, contrary, inconsiderate, utterly adorable pain with a voice that Elsa couldn't help but envy.

Perhaps, Elsa considered, it wasn't the climb that was making this difficult.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa spent the next several days dealing with the discovery that there was a traitor lurking in her subconscious. The business in the tree was a single, solitary positive encounter and by all rights shouldn't have meant much, but it had planted a nervousness in her. The frightening parts grew less and less important while the bright spots stuck, and some of those were trouble. Now that she was safe, removed from the danger that had dominated her mind at the time, Elsa was forced to admit that she had enjoyed Anna's help more than simple gratitude could explain. The humor she teased with while hanging from the branch was endearing, part of a playfulness that Elsa wanted to see more of. And those moments spent pressed flat against the redhead fueled more than embarrassment. A guilty evening had been spent letting her mind wander down the rabbit warren of "what ifs": what if they hadn't met in a fight? What if Anna was gay too? What if she had followed Elsa to her room afterward, and Elsa's hands had the chance to follow where the tattoos she had spied led…her imagination took her down some tantalizing paths that night.

It wouldn't go anywhere, of course. The rational parts of her knew both that she didn't have the guts to follow her physical attraction, and that even if she did they were liable to end up bickering since just thinking she was cute hardly solved anything. The irrational parts of her wanted to stay mad at the girl anyway for what she'd done before. Still, despite everything, a treacherous seed of hope had sprouted through the cracks in her disdain for the redheaded terror. It enjoyed an unexpected taste of calm as well, for despite Anna's parting words she'd failed to show up at the bus stop as usual. Elsa wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved as the week ticked away, devoid of the braided distraction.

Thursday dawned dimly, longer nights and a thick layer of clouds combining to give her a half-lit wait at the bus stop. Elsa loved everything about fall except for the darkness invading what should have been perfectly good daylight hours. Even when she lacked any plans to use them it had been nice at least having the option, if the whim struck her, to go out. Whether it was just going for a simple run, taking her camera around for an impromptu wandering, or flopping onto a bench by the sea where she could read and daydream, the early sunset now hemmed her in. She didn't relish facing the dark by herself.

Just a few short weeks ago she had been so eager for autumn to sweep away the incessant heat, and she felt a little silly for feeling glum when it had done that so wonderfully. Best to focus on the good and enjoy the day, even if she couldn't see if clearly. She sighed, determined not to dwell on this. She already had plenty of thoughts that refused to go away.

Something touched against her head, which she absentmindedly brushed off as she remained lost in thought behind her headphones. She paid more attention when she felt it again, her hand finding something moving this time. Elsa froze. A leaf? A spider? What…she didn't finish the thought as it moved again, this time sending her squeaking to the ground as she flailed against whatever was there, losing her footing in the wet leaves and landing heavily on her butt. From Elsa's new vantage point she had a perfectly clear image of the branch that she had felt, wielded by her most obnoxious neighbor from a perch in the tree above.

"Wow, that worked even better than I thought! You are _not_ good with surprises, are you?" She looked inordinately pleased with herself, sporting a smirk which would have been cute if it Elsa wasn't so distracted by the dampness she was now sitting in.

"Oh, for the love of…do you really have to do that? Can't you just say hello like a normal person?" Elsa scrambled to her feet, brushing leaves off and wincing at the touch of a slimy something that she hoped was no worse than mud.

Rolling her eyes Anna scoffed, "Me, _normal_. That doesn't sound like any fun."

"Well, do me favor and try to pretend, I'm all wet now thanks to you." The answering snicker confused her for a moment until she realized what she'd said, retorting, "Oh, can it, you know what I meant." If Anna's arboreal reappearance hadn't managed to be quite so annoying Elsa might have had something nicer to say, but, for the moment, her irrational side had the upper hand and didn't want to let go. Surely a better person would be more apologetic right now, but this girl seemed to be nothing if not proud of herself.

"Oooh, still so cold? Guess the climb didn't help get that stick out of your butt." Elsa wanted to wipe that grin off her face, but couldn't think of anything clever to say and couldn't reach her. Not that she was sure what she would do even if she could reach.

"Can you take this seriously at all? I'm not kidding, this is not how I want to start my day. I don't have time to go change if I want to catch the bus, and I've got work after class already." Anna's smile faded at the seriousness in Elsa's voice, but the older girl didn't care. The blonde wasn't in the mood to be the literal butt of the joke. She'd be mortified if she would have to spend the day with a streak of mud down the back of her jeans, but that wasn't even the truly irritating part. This was just another game to the girl. If Anna could just take a moment out of her own amusement, hopefully spending it to consider that Elsa's opinion might actually matter, she'd be a lot more tolerable, instead of this infuriating tendency to ignore that anyone else might have a reasonable complaint.

Anna dropped to the ground, landing just as gracefully as Elsa hadn't a minute before. Her expression was unsettled, a mix of contrition, irritation, and more that couldn't be identified. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but instead spent her time glancing at Elsa, then away again. This was new. In each previous run-ins she hadn't avoided eye contact at all, but this time she seemed nervous.

No explanation came. She eventually muttered, "Ah, screw it," then wandered to her usual spot, putting on her headphones to forestall any chance at a conversation.

It was over for now, but Elsa wasn't satisfied with how it had ended. She felt a hint of remorse at having been so obviously annoyed, even if she had a fine reason to be. Something was different about Anna's bearing this time, she hadn't settled into her typical indignation when Elsa pushed back. If it meant anything then the meaning was lost to her for now.

Anna spent the rest of the wait fidgeting, occasionally looking Elsa's way but for the most part studiously focusing on her phone, all the while shifting her weight from one foot to the other. It compounded the weirdness of her earlier hesitation, making it clear that something was going on that she wasn't letting on about.

_Just let it go. There's no reason to let yourself get caught up in whatever this is. _Elsa didn't find herself very convincing. This was going to bother her, no matter how much she knew it shouldn't.

The puzzle stuck with her, bouncing around her head for nearly an hour until her first class finally filtered in, stealing her attention away and leaving Elsa answerless. Neither did she make any progress throughout the day, her morning concern failing to rematerialize enough for it to reach any further than the back of her mind. By the time her shift at one of the campus libraries came around the issue was pushed out entirely. Shelving books inspired calmer thoughts.

Despite having locked the library doors more than an hour ago, Elsa was only just getting the last of the books into place at the end of her shift. Light streaming through the high windows had begun to darken into orange hues while she worked. It was her favorite time to be here, watching the mere calm slip into utter stillness as everyone else filtered out. She particularly liked evenings like this, where she was the last even of the employees. The whole place felt like it became hers, free to use for whatever whim might strike her. She would occasionally strike down the silence with a song on her phone, ignoring the tinny quality to dance through the solemn air, for once not having to care how silly she might look. Mere months before it wouldn't have been possible. Hans having had a keycard as well was too unnerving a thought to have lingered then, but with him gone the morose calm was once again welcoming, just as it had been when she first wanted the job. It was while others were still there that she felt it, jumping when people rounded the corners, momentary panic that Hans' persistence had brought him back.

As it turned out, the sudden buzzing from her pocket also did the trick, sending Elsa a half-foot closer to the ceiling as her last pile of books tumbled onto the floor. Luckily, being the last here also meant no one was around to witness her embarrassment at having been frightened by her own phone. Maybe one of these days she would stop jumping at shadows, but clearly today would not be it. Grumbling, she collected the books again, purposefully ignoring the creased pages in one that had fallen just wrong. Nothing could be done about it now, other than hoping the fold would flatten out while it sat on the shelf. Or, given that the book was one of the old editions for the Intro to Economics course, hope that the undergrads using it simply wouldn't care. Gods knew they treated the books badly enough themselves.

Only once everything was at last sorted into place did Elsa check the message that had so startled her. She didn't get a lot of texts, but it was generally Meri or her parents who sent the few that did turn up. Seeing Olaf's name was a surprise; she had forgotten that they traded numbers when he first came over. What might he want?

First was a picture, containing Olaf and a huge pile of ingredients. Flour, eggs, sugar, enough butter to make her feel heavier just from seeing it, and most importantly a Costco-sized bag of chocolate chips. He was seemingly holding everything back with a wielded spatula. The caption explained, 'Making cookies tonight, need help!' His horrified expression, like the mountain of stuff was about to overwhelm him, was enough to make her giggle. Well, why not? Anywhere with that much chocolate was worth a visit. And how much could possibly go wrong around cookies?

She set out while sending back, 'Only if you're fine with some of those chips not making it into the cookies! Be there in 40 minutes.' Shortly after she was out the door a second picture came back, showing Olaf on the floor while pretending to fend off the bag of chocolate. The message said simply, 'Hurry!' Her grin at just how much of a dork he was lasted all the way to the bus stop, and inspired her to choose music with a bit more swing to it for the ride back. If she were still alone in the library she might well have been dancing, surprised at how bright her mood was now. Olaf had a talent for lightheartedness, or maybe it was just the promise of chocolate. Either way Elsa was humming to herself as she hopped off the bus, eager to drop her bag off and head over.

The front porch was much less imposing now, and this time held no one waiting to ambush her. Orange lights flanked the door, new additions that arrived alongside October. Someone was ready for the holidays to begin. Halloween had never been Elsa's favorite; despite enjoying the aesthetic, the actual day always left her feeling left out; worse, it was her own fault that she was. Two years away from home hadn't managed to break that routine, despite telling herself each time that this year would be different. Maybe it would be, but she didn't have a lot of faith in herself to make the change.

_Stop it, this isn't the time for that. Just knock, dummy. _No sense getting down over nothing, at least not in the face of imminent chocolate! This time she heard Olaf respond immediately, yelling, "Come in!" loud enough to be heard over the music that was playing. Without the crowd of people from last time the room was rather serene, giving Elsa a chance to look around while she slipped off her shoes, leaving them in the small pile at the foot of the stairs. The living room was surprisingly clean, at least compared to what Elsa had expected to find. The wood floor was worn with age rather than mistreatment, and the couches inside were similarly battered through nothing more than long use. Now that she thought about it there hadn't been any particular reason to have expected a mess when she got here, it was a bit rude to have assumed that. All told, the place looked really quite comfortable.

"The kitchen's back here!" Olaf's voice echoed down the hallway alongside the clatter of a metal tray. Elsa was pretty sure that the Ricky Martin currently playing was his doing, given that neither Kristoff nor Anna seemed likely culprits. For Olaf, though, it was a good fit. When she reached the end of the hallway a grin broke out at how she found him. Yes, definitely a good fit, given that he was dancing while measuring out flour when she came out of the hallway.

"I see Ricky beat me here. Are you two serious, or is it just a fling?" Her tone was teasing as she rolled up her sleeves, ready to dive in to help as soon as she got directions.

"Oh, woe is me, my love has gone unrequited! Ricky, Enrique, they toy with my heart so cruelly, driving me to bake to drown my sorrow..." He sighed with such heartbreak that Elsa giggled at how well he sold it. "Enough about me, though, how have you been?"

"Better, now that it's finally stopped being so hot. What should I do to help?" She was hesitant to just dive right in, people could be very particular about their recipes. Better to play it safe.

"You can start the snickerdoodles! Find the recipe over there," he shrugged towards a box holding a couple dozen notecards, "and measure out everything. If you can't find anything just ask, it'll be buried somewhere around here." Elsa nodded and set to it.

Curiosity got the better of her as Elsa wondered aloud, "This is a nice place. I guess I was worried since I only saw it during the party before, so I expected it to be a little different. How long have you been here?"

Olaf had pulled out a hand mixer and set to beating the cookie dough into shape. He answered through the rhythmic clicking of the beaters as they spun, musing, "I guess you really don't know much about here, do you? Well, I've been here the longest, four years now. Gerda's kind of adopted us, we wouldn't let anything happen to her house so we take pretty good care of it. Sven moved in two years ago, and then Kristoff and Anna a year after him, though Kristoff was friends with Sven since way before that."

That inspired a slew of additional questions. Elsa didn't let it slow her too much from her task, but Olaf's answer hadn't been what she expected. Four years was a long time for him to have lived here, and unless he was older than he looked that would mean he'd been here since high school. She decided not to pry too directly, Olaf could elaborate on that if he wanted. Instead she remarked, "I don't think I've met Sven or Gerda yet."

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't have had a chance to meet Gerda, but she's just the sweetest lady you'll ever meet. I think she owns a couple of houses, but she's always made sure this house was open to kids like us. I don't know what we would have done without her. I'll have to let you know the next time she's here, she'll like you. Sven, well, he's nice, but he's pretty quiet, doesn't meet people very well. Poor guy nearly went into hibernation when Anna first showed up, though her being a friend of Kristoff helped get him survive it."

"Kristoff was quite easygoing when I talked to him. Is that why he's able to put up with Anna?" A bit more frustration than she had intended crept into that question.

Olaf fretted briefly before answering, "Anna's really not bad, she's just intense. You two have had just the worst luck meeting each other."

Elsa took a break to pop a handful of chocolate chips into her mouth, chewing them to buy some time to figure what to say next. The direct route was probably best. "That hasn't been my experience with her. It's seemed like she is intent on keeping this stupid fight going, and I haven't a clue why."

"Well...yeah, she can really dig her teeth into things and get stubborn about them, but that's usually a good thing! It's how she got through school, and with her parents…err, nevermind about them. Just, um, be patient with her, ok? She's had a lot enemies, which is sad because she's really fun. She's just had too many people hurt her, so new people get judged pretty fast." Olaf's concern was plain to see. As good as he was at creating emotion, he was absolutely awful at hiding it. Elsa decided to let it go rather than press the issue. He wasn't wrong, it was a bit rude to talk behind Anna's back like this, so she held back while he continued. "I am sorry about the party. I hadn't thought she'd do that." Olaf was dividing dough onto a cookie sheet, while Elsa was only part way done with the eggs for hers.

"Don't worry, Olaf. She's been better since." The bar had been set low enough that she'd have had a hard time failing to meet it now anyway. Elsa decided to change the subject, urging him, "Tell me some more about your band, I haven't heard much at all about it. I've noticed that you've been practicing earlier."

Olaf perked up at the new line of conversation, beaming, "We're doing pretty well, actually! This weekend is our first real show, we've got a gig at Red Down on Saturday. We've just played for friends and that sort until now. Hey, would you want to come?"

Elsa wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't even sure where a band like theirs would play. Bars and clubs weren't really a good fit for her, and the few she had gone to were some of the ones near campus with her friends. None of those were the sort where she would expect to see them. "I'm not sure – I don't know if that's my type of thing. I mean, I know you're good, but would I fit in?"

"You don't have to fit in, that's half the point! It would actually help us out a bit too, the more people that show up the better."

"Well…it would be an adventure, I suppose. I'll have to think about it." A thought struck her, bringing a wry smile to her face as she accused Olaf, "You didn't bring me here to bribe me with cookies, did you?"

"What? I would never…! I guess…hmm, yeah, it totally does sound like that now that you mention it. But still!" Brandishing his spatula, Olaf waved it at Elsa to emphasize his point, insisting, "Cookies are a very serious thing, Elsa Arendal. You don't use cookies to trick people, that would be _rude_." His indignation was at first quite real, but it tapered into humor as he realized she wasn't serious.

Popping a handful of chocolate chips into her mouth, Elsa mused, "With enough chocolate it would probably work. It's my one weakness."

Olaf's eyes lit up at that and he exclaimed, "Anna's exactly the same! It is really just a shame you haven't gotten along, I should be a better friend and fix that."

Elsa sighed. "I wouldn't worry about trying too hard, things will sort themselves out eventually. Speaking of which, where is everyone else? It's getting late."

Olaf answered while carefully portioning out the last of this batch of dough onto a cookie sheet. "Well, Kristoff had a date, Sven's probably visiting his parents, and I'll bet that Anna got stuck at work since we aren't practicing tonight. She might be back soon, though."

Later Elsa would wonder why she jumped to the conclusion that she did. It was a momentary lapse of judgment of the sort that was becoming more and more common since she had moved in, and it led her to demand, "Olaf, you didn't."

His confusion was clear as he asked back, "Didn't what?" It was enough for the realization to snap into place, leaving Elsa backpedalling.

"Oh, umm, I just meant because you had said you should fix it, it's really nothing." Olaf had started smiling, prompting more verbal flailing. "Really! I didn't mean anything, it was a silly question, don't read too much into it."

Olaf wasn't letting go after Elsa had accidentally dangled such a fun piece of bait before him. His eyes sparkled with humor as he promised all-too-innocently, "Well, I'll only read the right amount into it then." He let Elsa have some silence while he slid another tray into the over, then commented, "She likes girls, you know." Elsa froze, directing a mental kick at the part of her that thrilled at the confirmation, and then another again for having led her into this.

The situation instantly deteriorated as they heard the front door open, which was probably the second worst timing for an entrance that Elsa had ever encountered. Olaf started giggling as it closed, and Elsa began a doomed campaign to stop blushing. The music was too loud to hear which way those footsteps were going, but a familiar voice echoed down the hallway to let Elsa know she wasn't getting out of this.

"You'd better not be done yet! If tonight ends without any cookie dough in me then we've got a problem!"

Olaf flat-out smirked at Elsa before shouting back, "Don't worry, we've still got plenty here for you to enjoy!" She would have to get revenge for this sometime, but not now. Now was a time to brace herself.

"We?" Two thuds sounded as the song changed, sounding like she'd kicked her shoes off. I hope you mean Sven, because if Kristoff is back there then that date can't have gone well. Oooh, it's a Ricky night!" Her footsteps were irregular, matching the beat as she started dancing, and her voice approached the corner, singing along. "She'll make you take your clothes off," floated into the kitchen, followed by the singer herself backing into the room, pulling off her jacket. "And go dancing in the…rain..." Her face went from smile to shock when she turned to find Elsa watching, one hand covering her own grin.

"Hi." Elsa was sure of it now. Olaf was trouble when he wanted to be. Whether that was a good or bad thing wasn't clear right now.

"Hi - hi me?" She gestured to herself with the hand still holding her jacket, just in case there was any confusion. Elsa decided that she preferred Anna like this, off her guard. Her surprise was actually kind of endearing, and it helped wonderfully in getting Elsa past her own embarrassment from before.

"Will you be joining us?" Elsa wasn't sure if yes or no would be the easier answer to hear. Either would provide their own complications.

She seemed to find a bit of her resolve, finding something to do with her jacket by hanging it on the nearest doorknob. "As long as there's chocolate in here you're stuck with me." Olaf obliged the decision by tossing a chocolate chip at Anna, who tried catching it in her mouth. She missed, the morsel bouncing off her forehead to the floor, though it didn't remain there long as she reclaimed it to eat. "I gotta get better at that. We should practice later."

"You just want more." Again it was more teasing than it was a rebuke.

Anna rolled her eyes as she dug into the pile of bowls and ingredients, apparently knowing already what she'd need. Elsa couldn't help but notice that her sleeveless top left quite a bit of her arms visible, including the clearest look yet at the patterns inked onto her. There were two tattoos that Elsa could see, both remarkably well crafted. The first was of a skeletal chameleon climbing her arm, with great hollow eyes and gaping mouth twisted into a fleshless grin. A long tail wound down, ending in a loop encircling her just below the elbow. Elsa carefully avoided staring, but the detail on the bones was impressive enough that she really wanted to be able to study it more closely.

The other arm was simpler, but no less impressive. It held a silhouette depiction of Snow White pieced together with black, red, and empty space. Her hair and clothes were pure black cutouts, while a bold red marked her bow and lips. The rest was left out for the imagination to fill in. The bit that put the red back into Elsa's cheeks was that the clothing was not her usual dress, but instead was a much smaller outfit with a collar attached to a scanty corset, black laces crisscrossing down. To cap it all off she held a coiled whip, thin black loops gathered in gloved hands. The whole thing was distractingly well made and clearly sexual, so much so that Elsa could feel herself blushing. She couldn't imagine getting anything like that.

"Kristoff's pretty good, isn't he?" Anna had caught the gaze. Hopefully she had missed the reaction.

Elsa tried to cover. "I'm impressed, he did that? I didn't know he was a tattoo artist." Best to move the conversation along to get away from the fact that she had been caught looking. Not that she could even explain to herself why she so wanted to hide it.

"Yeah! It's his job, he's been doing them forever. He says he used to get in trouble with his parents for trying to give them to himself and his friends when he was a kid." Elsa got the sense that Anna wasn't quite saying what was on her mind either.

Olaf piped up, "You should see his, he's got a million of them! You could ask next Saturday if you get there early, he likes having an excuse to show them off. Just don't let him explain too long, we need him to actually play at some point in the night."

Elsa didn't get a chance to respond as Anna sputtered, "Wait, what? What do you mean early ..." Confusion gave way to surprise as she processed what that meant, with alarm following closely behind. She only remembered to close her mouth when she turned on Olaf to demand, "You told her?!"

"Yeah, why?" His face was exaggeratedly innocent.

"About our show?!"

"Yeah, why?"

Her voice fell flat as she realized Olaf was teasing her. "You're having some fun with me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, why?" He let himself smirk now that she had noticed.

Anna seemed to take that poorly. "Oh, you sneaky bitch. You…" Her eyes flicked to Elsa, at which point she thought better of whatever she had been intending to say. Instead she moved on to their guest to state bluntly, "You're not going to the show."

Elsa was on Olaf's side about having fun with this, enjoying that for once she didn't seem to be the one losing control over the situation. Just as innocently as Olaf she replied, "I don't know, it sounds like fun."

"There's no way you'll fit in."

"That's half the point, isn't it?" Olaf flashed her a thumbs up, which Anna noticed with a scowl.

"Oh, I get it now. Fine, I won't fight it right now, but I'm not going to lose to some, some… _cookie conspiracy_." She went back to her bowl, whisking more vigorously than was probably necessary.

"Well, if you are so certain I won't like it, why not sing one for me now to prove it?" Truthfully, Elsa was curious. She was leaning much more towards going to the show, if only because it looked like it would bother Anna (at least, that what she told herself), but she also genuinely wanted to hear more of her.

Not looking up from the dough Anna retorted, "They don't really work that well by themselves. How about _you_ sing something for us?" She set it out as a challenge, apparently certain that Elsa would decline. Elsa was more than happy to prove her wrong. She didn't have to be in practice to put on a show.

Elsa went to the stereo and cut the volume. She gave Anna a few moments to stew in the silence, giving time for surprise and anticipation to set the stage. Once the moment struck just right, she began, choosing one of her favorites.

"Am I blue? Am I blue?  
Aren't these tears  
In these eyes telling you?"

She'd always liked this song, and she enjoyed Annette Hanshaw's voice even more. But the original version wouldn't convey quite what she wanted this to. It needed to borrow a bit from elsewhere.

"Am I blue? You'll be too  
If your schemes, like your dreams  
All fall through"

There were a few versions of the song, and Elsa chose this part deliberately. Hopefully Anna couldn't miss the stress Elsa had placed on "schemes", drawing it out like a line in the sand. One way or another, Elsa just needed things to stop being so weird between them. If that could happen they might even get to be friends, but only if Anna could figure out what she wanted out of her.

"Was a time, I was her only one  
Now I am the sad and lonely one  
Was I gay 'til today?  
Now she's gone and we're through  
Am I blue?"

Maybe Olaf was right, and they had simply got off to a poor start. Anna probably would be a lot of fun if she wasn't trying so hard to be a pain in the ass, and Elsa was tired of hiding from the possibility of something new. She was also self-aware enough to realize that there was another part of the equation: it helped that the girl was attractive. Really, unreasonably attractive at that. But it was the grin on Anna's face while hanging upside down from a pine tree, and the breathless excitement she'd had when she'd first opened that door to meet her grumpy neighbor, that had wormed into Elsa's head. Those scenes were ones she found herself remembering these past weeks whenever she started daydreaming, all wrapped up in a pile of uncertainty about where she stood in Anna's eyes now. Those were the scenes that made Elsa _want_ to like her.

The blush spreading through her freckles now didn't hurt, either.

"Wow, umm, I guess I deserved that. Maybe not so much a stage performer-" Elsa huffed at that "-but not bad!" She sounded exactly as Elsa had hoped, as though she'd just had her feet taken out from under her. A bit of fair payback.

"Just not bad? That was wonderful! Where'd you learn to sing? You'd better not be able to do that without any practice, I'll be awfully jealous." Olaf was just plain excited. Elsa still felt like he'd been plotting something tonight, but this response sounded totally genuine, a normal example of Olaffian joy.

"Well, I did practice, a lot, when I was younger. I've had lessons since I was little." _And I wish I kept them up since coming here,_ she thought to herself.

"Lessons...well that makes sense. You did look prim and proper, like you were always taught the 'right' way to sing." Anna struck an exaggerated pose to demonstrate what she meant, back ramrod straight and hands held gracefully before her.

"Please, you make me sound like I'm some sort of aristocrat. I'm not _that_ stiff." Elsa wasn't really admonishing her, she wanted to make it clear that she could take a joke.

"Well, you're high-class, at least. Is it my turn, then? I think I owe you a song after that little surprise." She sounded eager this time, like she already had something in mind.

"I suppose it is." What was she planning? At the very least this ought to be interesting. From the little she'd heard before she knew that the girl had plenty of talent, and she seemed to have taken Elsa's song as a challenge. Which it sort of had been, now that she thought about it.

Anna's fingers led the way, snapping a beat to lead her into the lyrics. It wasn't familiar to Elsa, an upbeat tune bouncing between syllables and running the pitch up and down through every line. It was catchy, whatever it was.

"She keeps Moët et Chandon  
In her pretty cabinet  
'Let them eat cake,' she says  
Just like Marie Antoinette!  
A built-in remedy  
For Kruschev and Kennedy  
At anytime an invitation  
You can't decline!"

She was into it now, whole body stepping into each line, face lit up at once with the sheer joy of singing and with a hint of a smoldering more. Elsa nearly felt the need to gulp, and she was certain she was both blushing and staring. Damn it. Gods damn it all, the girl was _good_, and the way she was moving just wasn't fair.

"Caviar and cigarettes  
Well versed in etiquette  
Extraordinarily nice  
She's a Killer Queen  
Gunpowder, gelatine  
Dynamite with a laser beam  
Guaranteed to blow your mind!"

As she sang that line she shot Elsa through with a _look_, one that could be a promise just as easily as a warning. Why couldn't _this_ have been how they met? Without the small mountain of annoyances they'd accumulated between them - or, maybe, the little molehill of them - things could be so different. A beautiful woman singing to her - and there was no mistaking it, this song was directed squarely at Elsa - was so much better than their first fight had been.

Just...

_This just isn't fair. Why does she have to be so stupidly hot right now? _Gods below, Elsa wanted to let it all go and make a very bad decision right now, but getting sucked in by a pretty voice just had to be horribly short-sighted. She was overreacting. It was just that she was very talented, that was all. That was a much safer answer than the sway of her as she stepped into each bolded syllable.

Never mind that the fierce confidence in her demeanor was reminding Elsa of how nonchalantly she'd scampered through those branches. Of the forceful fluidity when she'd dropped to earth.

Of the glimpse of skin Elsa had caught beneath that perfectly too-short top at the party. Of all the other corners of ink she'd spied during their various encounters.

Of her infuriating desire to follow those tattoos under the clothes hiding them.

_Girl, you've got it bad._

And she kept going.

"Recommended at the price  
Insatiable an appetite  
Wanna try?"

The song didn't let up. Maybe the original didn't stretch out the question so teasingly, and maybe just by itself it wouldn't have suggested so much, but now, with the dare lurking in Anna's eyes, Elsa knew what she was being told. This was one hell of an olive branch. Was she daring Elsa to rebuff her, forcing Elsa to be the one to push back? It might also be a hint that Elsa's confusion about where she stood was mutual. Not so long ago Elsa wouldn't have had any patience for this sort of playing around; now, she found that she didn't want her to stop. Though hell if Elsa knew what came next.

Elsa had never flirted in her life, but she was pretty sure that was what was happening now. If she had any wisdom she'd refuse to join in to avoid assuredly making a fool of herself eventually, but she didn't feel very wise at all right now. How was she even supposed to react here? She prided herself on always having a calm response, but she didn't have any footing here, no experience to inform what one might even look like. Half of her wanted to scream at Anna to stop messing with her, and the other half wanted to drag her to somewhere private and order her to keep going. After a lifetime keeping people at arm's length, a distance inspired by a formless fear of all that might go wrong, this was flying dangerously close to the sun.

Olaf evidently knew the song and was giggling helplessly as Anna danced deeper.

"Drop of a hat she's as willing as  
Playful as a pussy cat  
Then momentarily out of action  
Temporarily out of gas  
To absolutely drive you wild...  
She's all out to get you!"

Elsa was done, just absolutely done. She was perilously near cracking as she pieced together enough calm to painstaking comment, "It appears I have to concede to you, that was spectacular! What song was that?" Asking about the music was the safest direction that came to mind. Certainly safer than thinking more about the way the air filled Anna's chest, or the glorious dance of her lips forming the tune. Yes, best to stick to the song, the only part of what was happening that she had any notion how to handle.

Incredulous eyebrows lifted as she answered with her own question, demanding, "What, don't you know Queen?" Apparently Elsa had poked the hive.

"Oh, they are an old band, aren't they? I've heard the name before." Olaf joined in to gang up on her, tsking at the response.

"I'm with Anna on this one, we're gonna have to fix this." He went to the stereo, promising the machine, "I'll see you again later, Ricky. Now we're going to be spending a night at the opera."

"A little more energy than that, more like a day at the races." Elsa was missing something here, she could tell.

"Either way, you'll like them. They've got... a kind of magic." Olaf was grinning like a total dork now, though Elsa still had no idea what the joke was that she wasn't figuring out.

"They've got the works! All sorts of music."

"A little jazz, even."

"Eddie was the Queen of the game."

"A voice made in heaven."

"Umm...Flash Gordon." Anna seemed to have run out of whatever was going on, and Olaf giggled at her concession.

"I thought you'd comment on this hot space in here after all your innuendo. I think you almost gave her a sheer heart attack!" Anna blushed when Olaf said that, and judging by his expression that had been the point.

Game or not, Elsa was blushing too as she told them, "I'm not quite sure what's happening here, but I think you two are both being giant dorks and leaving me out. So, um... what just happened?"

Olaf answered. "They're the album titles! And Anna forgot I always win at this game." Anna threw a bit of cookie dough at him, which stuck to his nose when he tried to eat it mid-air.

"You two are special." Weird, too, though Elsa kept that to herself. Definitely fun to watch in any case, which made her blush easier to bear.

Anna smiled at her, which was enough to keep Elsa's face red. "'Special' is better than 'normal' from before. I'll take it!" Her head was bobbing to a song that Elsa wasn't having much luck paying attention to. There was too much distraction already.

"Well, anyway...where did _you_ learn to sing? Your voice is wonderful, you must have a lot of practice." Complimenting Anna's voice also seemed safe for now. Safe from what, precisely, Elsa wasn't ready to say.

"Practice is about all I've got, I never had anywhere to learn. I just really love music. I used to get in trouble for listening to the radio instead of going to sleep. So, I guess that part sorta hasn't changed." She was talking about her, Elsa realized, getting mad at their practice. Cheeky of her to slip that in, but she had to admit that she'd made it fit. It didn't bug her as much as it might have; Elsa didn't think she'd mind listening to Anna sing while she went to sleep, at this point it was maybe just the instruments that would bother her.

Anna's gaze lingered on Elsa, as though she was considering saying something but wasn't finding words for it. Eventually she went back to the stereo, announcing, "Well, I think we've confused you enough with this, I'll change it to something more like what we play. I can sing along, if you don't mind." Was that another blush? And she was asking, for once, even if it wasn't something she really had to ask about. That was new.

"I'd like that, Anna." Damn it, she was blushing too, and that answer seemed so awkward now that she'd said it. Couldn't she have thought of a better way to put it? Why did it even bother her? The whole situation had her feeling silly.

The song switched abruptly in a clamor of drums, leading into a catchy guitar hook. Anna started bopping to the beat, hair bouncing in time. Again Elsa wondered at the sheer energy that always seemed to drive her. A day in her life must be exhausting. Maybe worth it, but Elsa was pretty sure running through the day at full tilt like that would wear her out.

When the lyrics hit Anna spun around to face the kitchen, startling a smile from Elsa. _Dork_, she thought silently. This girl really did belong on a stage.

"Well every day I throw a little party  
But if it would be more fitting, fitting!  
And every time I come a little higher  
Should I leap or go on living, living?"

Sure, Elsa felt out of her depth, and yes, she felt silly about the way she was worrying about the strangest little things tonight. But she was enjoying herself. It was almost a surprise, admitting that to herself: she was having fun. Maybe tonight she could let herself not sweat the small stuff? So what if she had some good reasons to be mad at this girl, they wouldn't do anything but spoil the evening. Elsa relaxed. She didn't have much practice living in the moment, but Anna seemed good enough at that for two people.

"Hear the voices venomous and thrilling  
In their hair they're always calling, calling!  
But I wanna gotta go the way my butt beats  
So I'm not falling for the folly, folly!"

Folly? Hmm, maybe, but Elsa wasn't going to let herself care. She was going to drink this performance in without complicating it. Watching Anna's hips swing back and forth to the lines was a pleasure; it could be a guilty one some other time. But not now.

"No one here is taking notice  
No outline will ever hold us  
It's not a new wave, it's just you and me!"


End file.
